


Inevitable

by Venomheart_The_Dreamer



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: F/M, Horror, Mystery, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-08
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-02-12 07:18:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12954159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Venomheart_The_Dreamer/pseuds/Venomheart_The_Dreamer
Summary: Judy Hopps kissed Jack Savage and she doesn't know why.





	1. Success

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A crazy idea for a story that I felt like I had to write.

Skye lived in a badly maintained house. She was busy flipping through reports trying to make sense of what was happening. So many mammals were missing just disappearing without a trace. Her partner Jack Savage was away on a mission of vital importance with Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, that's all she knew. No one would tell her anything else, what she tried to find out herself hadn't been successful.

Ever since her partner went on a secret mission, she was stuck with endless paperwork. Her job was to make connections between the missing mammals trying to find a pattern. Months without success, she started taking her work home. She started placing maps on the walls, each new idea required a new map, a new way to look at the problem anew.

She did call Jack Savage from time to time. His voice soothed her and kept her going, giving her hope that everything might still turn out alright. He gave her ideas on what to look for whenever she thought all hope vanished. He didn't pick up the two previous calls.

Without his guidance, she worked even harder trying to find a pattern that still eluded her grasp. They found no one missing yet despite the extensive resources Zootopia was pouring in on the effort. Not even a body.

She drew many lines connecting the mammals to each other, any pattern, sequence, anything she would find it. There must be a pattern somewhere. Mammals simply just don't vanish without a trace. Every new idea became another picture on the wall. Each idea led to yet another dead-end.

She knew that many of the pictures were of Judy's family, that young rising police officer with so much potential. By her recollection, Judy had a hundred and fifty siblings yet there was over images of two-hundred rabbits on the wall. Who were the other fifty? What were the names? She didn't know.

She knew them once, she drew lines connecting those images. They had something in common, something in relation to one another but who were they? Her house became a mess. She didn't clean or maintain the house anymore, just spent her every waking moment dedicated to this one pursuit.

One more connection, one more obscure fact uncovered. Laura and Megan were at the mall alone, eight years ago. Why did it matter? She didn't know, it was simply one more connection. She drew a line connecting both Hopps' siblings. She hoped in vain to find something connecting everything.

Someone opened the door to her house. Before she could even turn around to look at who was there. She saw her partner, the striped rabbit Jack Savage. He said, "Judy Hopps agreed to the wedding. It will be held tomorrow!"

That came as a shock to her, it was the last thing she expected to hear. She and Jack were partners, Judy was with Nick. It had been three months since she last saw Jack. "Wedding?" she said. She studied Jack, he was extremely happy. Well rested, as if nothing was even amiss. Her own disheveled appearance contrasted Jack's pleasant mood. "I didn't even know you two were dating. What about us? I thought we had something."

"She finally said yes. My dream finally came true."

"What about Nick? I thought she and him were involved. Also, what do you mean by finally? You never asked to my knowledge. I didn't even know you loved her."

"Let's not talk about him, shall we?"

Jack was acting strangely. It was as if he didn't even care what she was going through. He was also dodging every question she had. "Jack, what happened? You, Judy and Nick, went on a mission together for three months. Now, you come into my house late at night, to tell me that you and Judy are getting married. What happened Jack? What happened on that mission?" Skye questioned. "The ZIA director would only say it's classified. He wouldn't tell me anything!"

She desperately wanted answers. She also felt extreme relief that he finally returned. Maybe, they would be able to find something, she would be happy if they found a corpse. It would be better than nothing at all. Jack didn't answer one question, she simply asked another, hoping for a response to something.

Jack said, "Skye, I'm sorry. I can't let you ruin this dream."

Confusion and betrayal filled her thoughts. She thought Jack's presence would fix everything. "Why Jack? Why?" she said before her consciousness gave out.

He couldn't allow her to live given her resourcefulness. It was all or nothing. He made sure she was dead from asphyxiation. There was no coming back from this at all. He killed his best friend for a better chance to obtain what he so desperately wanted.

She would probably interrupt the ceremony or find out what happened to the others. He couldn't allow that to happen. It took a lot of work for Judy to finally agree, he couldn't waste the chance since she finally said yes.

Skye was simply an obstacle to overcome. He entered Skye's bedroom one more time. Her room contained multiple pictures of him and her pristinely preserved over the years. All of them were from different missions they worked on together. He shed a tear at the memories they shared.

She was too skilled, she also loved him. That was why he had to kill her, so she couldn't interfere with his plans. Mammals were irrational in a sense that trying to control them wasn't of much use. He learned that over the years. She was simply a risk that had to be taken out of the equation.

Enough with lingering in the past. He put her corpse into his car. He drove to one of their private sites where they'd dump mammals that needed to disappear. No one checked these sites because the ZPD wanted to remain ignorant while the city council subtly approved. No one would know that the deed had been done. He tossed her corpse away. Her corpse joined many criminals, dictators, would-be leaders of corrupt organizations. Peace was only an illusion, one the ZIA worked tirelessly to uphold.

He drove back to his home constantly wondering if tomorrow would turn out just as he had planned. It was a grand scheme that would finally come to fruition. All he needed was one more day to go perfectly. He went over the checklist to see if there was anything else he could do to increase the chances of success.

Now, all he had to do was wait for tomorrow to come.

* * *

Jack Savage walked towards the altar holding Judy's paw. He was wearing a charming black tuxedo suit. Judy wore the most dashing white gown possible. The entire chapel was silent as they watched the two rabbits walk towards the altar.

Jack Savage observed who showed up for the ceremony. Her family was missing, so was Nick Wilde. Jack knew that Judy loved Nick Wilde, he was her partner. They've been together for many years. Did it matter that Nick was missing? He pondered.

Does the past matter even as they were about to be wed? He finally had what he wanted, what he desired that was always out of reach. After many attempts, he finally succeeded and Judy Hopps was his. She didn't seem to care, and he certainly didn't.

The chapel contained multiple anti-interspecies groups, that he had worked against in the past. It was strange he supposed but it didn't matter. The ZPD was there to keep the peace. Chief Bogo even decided to preside over the ceremony himself. They marched towards the imposing buffalo.

Chief Bogo instructed them to speak their vows. That event passed without anything going wrong.

Jack said, "I do." All he had to do now was wait for her to do the same. Those two words Jack so desperately wanted to hear as he beheld her dashing violet eyes. She was smiling and so was he. A moment felt like an eternity as he waited for those two words.

He began having second thoughts about this day because of her extremely long pause. Was she going to reject him once more? "I do," Judy said.

Chief Bogo grunted, "You may now kiss the bridge."

It took all of Jack's resolve not to panic. Was his perfect day going to ruined by just one word? He decided he would act as if nothing went wrong. He prayed that Judy would do the same. He moved to kiss Judy. She had the same idea as him. She too chose to ignore Bogo's error acting as if it wasn't even there.

As his dream slowly came true and he thought nothing could dampen his spirits. The chapel was clapping as they kissed and officially became a couple.

It was there as subtle as it was, a small tear droplet escaped her eyes as she kissed him. He knew from experience that it wasn't a tear of joy or happiness. Even as everyone attended clapped, he saw her struggling to maintain her smile. She was finally his mate, but she wasn't truly happy, and that wasn't good enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback welcome. Let me know if this story should be burned and destroyed.


	2. Inescapable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't too sure how I wanted to continue this.

Judy felt warmth surrounding her. It was so comfortable that she didn't want to wake up. A heavenly feeling. "Carrots, wake up," Nick said.

She opened her eyes. "Morning, Nick." She noticed that Nick's tail gripped her possessively.

Judy and Nick arrived in Bunnyburrow yesterday, to her delight, her family was more than accepting of Nick. Her siblings greeted Nick enthusiastically. "I still can't believe that you actually have two-hundred and seventy-four siblings." He was still recoiling from the memory as they eagerly embraced him.

"Nick, I have two-hundred and seventy-five remember? You saw them all, I thought you knew everyone. Were my siblings too much for you to remember?" she teased.

"I remember them perfectly, isn't it a bit too soon to think of expanding the family already?" Nick said. "What do you think they would look like?"

"I didn't know you were so eager," she laughed. That was a unique way of offering although this was Nick's first visit to Bunnyburrow. She didn't know that Nick could be so bold or subtle.

They decided to get out of bed. The first order of business was breakfast. Since Nick was visiting, they dined in a large room able to fit the entire family. It was there she counted, two-hundred and seventy-four, Nick was right. She was no longer certain of herself. "Mom, can we talk privately?"

Bonnie led Judy to a secluded part of the house. "Did you and Nick have any fun on your first night here?"

"MOOOM, we haven't gotten that far yet. Isn't it a bit too soon?" She blushed with embarrassment as her mother was too upfront with her questions.

"You're lucky to find such a caring boyfriend," Bonnie said. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Nick thought I had two-hundred and seventy-four siblings when I actually have two-hundred and seventy-five," Judy said. This minor discrepancy had been nagging her. She thought that Nick was just being himself in teasing her at the start.

"We have two-hundred and seventy-five kits, Nick's right. Everyone in the burrow was there for breakfast."

"But …" She trailed off, not sure how to continue her response. She couldn't have been wrong, could she?

"Who do you think is missing?" Bonnie asked. Judy heard the concern in her voice. Bonnie went on to list each sibling she had. "If someone was missing, wouldn't I know it? What was that kit's name?"

"You're right, I do only recall two-hundred and seventy-four names." Judy couldn't think of who was missing. Bonnie didn't think anything was wrong or amiss.

"Maybe, you want to have kits of your own?" Bonnie said.

"It's too early for that, mom," she replied.

"Foxes mate for life you know, you should catch him and never let him go."

It was true that foxes mated for life, that's why she and Nick never did the deed yet. "I know that mom, that's why I want to make sure that it's what he really wants. I can't believe that this visit is going so smoothly."

"Let's get back, shall we?"

Judy and Bonnie returned to the dining room. Nearly everyone was finished eating when they arrived. Nick enjoyed the blueberry pies they served. "Carrots, what took so long?" he asked.

"Nothing important." She decided it was best to not linger on the matter. She was simply wrong in this case. She started munching on the carrots in front of her one at a time.

"Tell us a story," Zachary said. He was around seven years old. An inquisitive sibling of hers that displayed no fear towards predators.

Everyone was in attendance since this was Nick's first visit and Judy's prospective mate. Zachary's voice joined the chorus of many others all clamoring for a tale. Nick decided to recount how he and Judy outwitted Bellwether during the missing mammals case.

There were many public variations and theories of what truly happened that day. The citizenry was unsatisfied with the explanation that Bellwether suddenly decided to confess. A false narrative no matter how convincingly made wasn't accepted as the absolute truth.

Nick became engrossed in his recounting, placing extreme emphasis on the part he went savage willingly. He placed his jaws around her throat just like he did in the museum that fateful day. She screamed, she tuned him out because it was a tale she heard many times before. She wasn't prepared for this at all. "Nick, what the?" she said after regaining her senses.

Their plan was to stall for time, hoping for a miracle to happen. Their acting at that time was convincing enough to fool Bellwether that her plan was successful. "Weren't you listening? Great acting, Carrots, you really had everyone fooled."

She blushed from guilt and that compliment. "I've heard it many times before." She took the remaining carrot on her plate and continued eating it. She couldn't stop herself from shaking as she ate the carrot.

"Weren't you scared?" Zachary said.

"Not at all, by that time I managed to trust him completely. I'm sure you can think of why the official report omitted this part."

Zachary decided to hug Nick once more. "Thank you," he said.

"No, not again," Nick said. He knew from yesterday that running away was pointless. He waited and accepted his fate as they buried him alive. "Does your family always do that?" he asked.

"Only to ones they like," Judy said. She too joined in on the fun, being closest to him.

A loud boom came from outside the house. That stopped the festivities immediately to both Nick's joy and dismay. "I hope it finally arrived," Henry said. He was slightly older than Judy. A social recluse obsessed with games. He played everything from Feline Adventure Island to Shadow Gate. He happened to be sitting right beside her at the table.

"What did you order this time?" James said with annoyance. He was one of Judy's littermates.

"Only the best thing ever." He quickly rushed out of the room.

James sighed. "I'll go help him."

Judy and Nick took their seats once more, uncertain of what to do. Only those two left the room, so it didn't seem to be the time to leave just yet. Idle chatter resumed among them. Nick and Judy were barraged with questions about city life.

Soon enough, Henry and James returned carrying multiple books. Henry and James set the books on the table. Judy couldn't help but look at the titles: 'How to make enemies become friends on hard mode', 'How to set up your own dystopian government', 'Limits of Savagery: A guide to morality', 'Hidden artifacts, secrets, how to not miss anything.'

As soon as the books were placed on the table. The kits came over asking if they could have them. "Sure," Henry said as he distributed the books to the kits.

One of them shouted. "Yes," this game is going to become so much easier." He ran out of the room eagerly clutching the book.

"What's in those books?" Judy asked.

"Strategy guides, how to win at games," Henry said.

Julia said, "Have you considered trying actual relationships?" She was another littermate of hers.

"But I need simulations to make sure everything turns out fine," Henry said.

"You've been simulating these things for over a year now. You gave all your strategy guides away, you're not going to be playing anything for the rest of the day anyway. Go outside." Julia was forceful enough to drag Henry out of the room by the ear.

"What was that about?" Nick asked.

"I don't know, I've been away from Bunnyburrow too long. I knew that Henry was obsessed with games the last time I was here. I didn't know that it was this bad," Judy said.

Zayne snuck up behind Nick without him noticing. He managed to pick Nick's pocket. "Can I have your badger?" The kit proudly held up his ZPD badge.

Judy couldn't stop herself from laughing at the situation. It was so ridiculous that a sibling managed to sneak up on Nick without him being aware. Normally, Nick was a lot more guarded towards other mammals. It was nice that he was finally at ease.

"Of course," Nick said. He patted her sibling on the head. He stocked Zayne's white fur. "Just give it back after a day."

"Yay! I got a badger." Zayne proudly displayed Nick's badge for everyone to see.

Nick snuck up behind the kit. "It's a badge," he whispered in his ear.

"Isn't that the tall lumbering animal that comes if you're naughty?"

"It's actually the opposite."

Judy was in shock. She knew how precious the badge was to Nick. He just gave it away to her sibling. Zayne's white fur made it extremely hard to sneak up on someone. She knew that Zayne was good at spelling and obsessed with what he had learned. It seemed odd to her that he would make such a mistake. She thought it was intentional at first, but he couldn't fake that, could he?

"I thought you were good at spelling?" Judy said. She wasn't too sure how to approach the subject but felt like she had to say something.

"I am good at spelling. All the dictionaries that I looked at contained those definitions. I thought I knew those words before."

"Oh really? Can I see this dictionary myself?" She thought that Zayne would simply admit he was wrong this time instead of trying to explain why he was right.

"Of course." He ran off in a hurry to fetch a dictionary.

"Maybe, he'll find a use for that badger before the end of the day," Nick said.

"Don't you start too now, Nick."

"Oh fine, my bunny knows best." He kissed her on the lips.

It took a few minutes for Zayne to return. "Here." He handed Judy a copy of Kits Picture Dictionary.

"He actually came back with a dictionary," Nick said.

Judy opened the dictionary, to her surprise, it was true. Badge and badger had their definitions mixed. "This dictionary is wrong."

"That's not the only one that I've checked. Three different dictionaries all confirmed the same thing," Zayne said.

Judy took out her cell phone. She showed Zayne the meanings of the words badge and badger.

Maybe it was a publisher's mistake or a prank gone too far. Zayne began questioning things. How many words were there that he was using incorrectly?

"Can you look at what I wrote?" Zayne asked. "I want to make sure I didn't make any mistakes."

"Certainly," Judy said.

They waited for him to return.

Judy looked at the piece of paper written three weeks ago. It contained just two simple phrases.

'The badger swam across the lake.'

'She earned a badge.'

A simple demonstration of how to use certain words. "You used those words correctly back then," Judy said.

"Sorry, I bought the wrong one, can I go get another?" Zayne asked. He was still worried about what he might have misunderstood.

"Don't worry about it kit. I'm sure your vocabulary is fine," Nick said. "Always reference the internet and more than one source if you're not sure about something."

"Of course."

Zayne ran off to do other things.

"What should we do now?" Nick asked.

"Why don't I show you around Bunnyburrow? It is your first visit," Judy said. She figured it was finally time to leave the dining room, nearly everyone else had.

"Show me what you like most."

Before they could leave, they stumbled on to Gideon right outside. "Nick, Judy," Gideon panted. He was catching his breath having run so far. "How would you like to go on a cruise around the world sponsored by Gazelle?"

Judy was ecstatic. "How did you manage that?"

"Her manager decided to pull a stunt. Anyway, now I'm stuck finding mammals to go on a cruise. You two were the first I had in mind."

"Isn't this like too good to be true?" Nick said. He was suspicious of the entire deal.

"Don't tell me you're scared of a boat," Judy said. "What's the worst that can happen? You'll be right by my side. When does the cruise leave?" She tried to reassure Nick that everything was going to be fine.

"A week. I'm going to be the chef onboard," Gideon said.

"I look forward to those blueberry pies."

"Gideon makes blueberry pies?" Nick asked. "Of course, I'll come." Judy was glad that Nick didn't seem as tense as before.

"It gets better than that, the pies you ate earlier were made by him."

Nick began salivating at the mere thought of eating more blueberry pies. "How many do you have to find?"

"Speaking of that, want to help? Choosing fifty more between your siblings. I wouldn't want to put you on the spot. You do have two-hundred and seventy-three after all," Gideon said. "Maybe, I should ask them myself?"

"It won't be a problem," Judy said. A luxury cruise with Gazelle in a week. This visit didn't turn out bad at all.

"Thanks."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, feedback welcome.


	3. Cruise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured I'd attempt to finish this story. I plan to end this with the fourth chapter.

Judy and Nick and her fifty siblings waved goodbye to their family as they boarded the cruise ship.

"This is going to be so much fun," she said.

"I never thought you'd choose me out of all two-hundred," Sebastian said.

Judy whispered to Nick, "How do I handle this?"

"If you want to make it up to her, don't think about it, it's better if you simply enjoy the cruise," Nick said. He walked with Judy towards their room.

A striped hare fell from the sky placing his lips on to Judy's when their bodies collided. "I can show you around if you want," he said.

Judy gathered her wits about her. "Get off me," she said. She pushed the striped hare away. She spat a few times to get rid of the taste.

"I'm so sorry about how we met. My friend tossed me off the upper deck because we had an argument. I've always dreamed of meeting you. My name's Jack Savage." He wore a black uniform befitting a spy.

"I'm sorry about your friend. I'm not interested. I already have a boyfriend."

"Who?" he said with an edge of jealousy.

"Him." She pointed behind him.

Nick lifted Jack Savage by his ears. "So, you got tossed off a deck. Your behavior seems uncivilized. They certainly got the savage part right. You wouldn't want to go overboard, would you?" He turned towards Judy. "Judy, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she replied.

Nick released Jack Savage.

"He's a fox, certainly my lips taste better than his." Jack got to his feet.

Nick surprised her with a forceful kiss. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all, I want your tail tonight," she said.

"This is disgusting, foxes and rabbits can't have kits," Jack said.

"Please find me cases of rabbits and hares having kits and Judy's all yours." Nick smiled. "You should keep your story straight."

"Nick, what the heck?" Judy raged. "I thought we were close."

"Oh, this dumb bunny skipped biology class. I guess that's not a requirement to be part of the ZPD."

"That's not what I meant." Judy pinned Nick beneath her. She bared her teeth in front of his face.

"You're so cute when you're angry. I could just kiss you right now."

"Do you even care about me?"

"Are you dense, Carrots? Hares and rabbits can't have kits either."

"At least, we won't be predator and prey," Jack Savage muttered. "You sicken me."

A white vixen appeared behind Nick. "My condolences for his behavior. I'm also the one who tossed him off the upper deck out of frustration. My name is Skye." She bowed. "I'll take this problematic bunny off your paws."

"Hey, I'm a hare!" Jack complained as she dragged him away.

"But you wish you were a bunny right now. Might as well call you one."

Nick and Judy entered their suite. "Wow, this place has everything. Comfortable bedding, video games, television," he said.

"Nick, I'm very angry at you. That's no way to behave. I really thought you didn't care about me for a moment," she said.

"Why don't I make it up to you?"

Before Nick could show her how sorry he was. She screamed, "Get out of my head!" She clutched her head with her paws. She curled into a ball.

Nick sighed. "He still hasn't learned how to win. I'll be back, Carrots. Looks like I have to help him again."

* * *

Judy uncurled herself as her pain subsided. She looked for Nick despite not understanding his behavior at all. She found him right outside her room. "Are you feeling better?" he asked.

"Didn't you just leave me?" she said. "I think I remember that. Do I remember that? We're on this boat with twenty-five siblings, right?"

"Twenty-five, so that's what he took. Are you okay now?"

"I think so? What was that about sinning?"

"Oh, that was my gift to you."

"I don't understand."

"Sometimes, it's better not to."

"But I want to."

"Follow me." Nick sighed. "I'll try to show you." He led her towards Jack Savage and Skye. "You remember this charming bunny, don't you?" They entered their room disappearing from her sight.

"Charming? Nick, don't mess with me." She clenched her paws.

"Okay, okay." Nick backed off. "You see them entering their room a minute ago?"

"Yes."

"Find out where Jack Savage went, it's the best way to gain an understanding."

"He entered that room. We saw them go in," Judy said. "I don't understand you."

"Open that door then, it should easy enough. I'll be in our room enjoying the amenities. Come back when you're done investigating or if you give up, either works."

Judy knocked on the door only for no one to respond. She tried opening the door, but it wouldn't budge. She could break the door if she wanted but felt it would be wrong to do so. She decided to go back to their room where Nick would be waiting for her.

"So, did you learn anything?" Nick asked smugly.

"They locked the door. No one answered," Judy said.

"Is that all it takes?" Nick mused.

"You wouldn't tell me anything! Why?"

"It's not my place."

"Why are you acting so different?"

"Because I know everything. Do you want to understand or shall we enjoy our time together?"

"Let's see if Gazelle is singing."

Nick walked with her towards the concert just as she expected. They sat among the crowd listening to Gazelle. Judy forgot all her worries as she spent time with Nick. She danced with Nick to the music and they even kissed during some rounds.

She was so lucky to be on this cruise with just Nick away from all her family. Her family was sure to disapprove of her relationship with her fox. "Gideon?" she said as she bumped into him while dancing.

"This cruise is great, isn't it?" Gideon said. "I'm so lucky to be the chef."

"Thank you so much for giving me the tickets to be aboard this ship."

"I certainly wish I knew Gazelle personally. That would be a dream. Someone dropped a ticket and I was lucky to pick it up that's all. Say, would you like to try my pies?"

Nick groaned. "I can't believe he's that sloppy."

"Who are you talking to?" Judy asked.

"No one at all. Let's enjoy those pies."

Gideon led them to a table. He entered the kitchen to retrieve three blueberry pies. "How are you and Nick doing?"

"I didn't know he was this good at dancing or kissing," she said.

"Shouldn't you tell Gideon how we got on to the ship?" Nick asked.

"Why would that matter? He gave us those tickets."

"But I didn't," Gideon insisted.

Nick's eyes pierced into her soul. "So, Judy, what are you going to do?"

"I guess it doesn't matter. We're having fun on the cruise, and you're here with me." She kissed him again.

"I wonder how it'll happen this time."

"What will?" she asked.

"You'll know soon enough. Let's enjoy the moment. These pies are good, Gideon."

Judy sighed. "Why do I even put up with you?"

"Because you love me."

"Quiet," she shouted.

"What's wrong?" Nick seemed concerned.

"Don't you hear it? That sound, it's like a cry." She strained her ears to hear that sound. She tried to move towards the source. "Follow me."

She rushed towards that mournful cry. She heard stabbing noises. She saw Jack Savage repeatedly stabbing the body of Skye. He cackled maniacally, "Take that, and that."

Nick was right behind her. "Stressful day at work, Jack?"

Jack turned around. "You shouldn't be here."

"Nick, now's not the time for jokes," Judy said. She couldn't believe Nick was making light of the situation.

"You're right. Let's get him." Nick chased after Jack unarmed. It was hazardous without their regular police equipment, but they couldn't let this happen on the cruise.

"Gideon, get help for Skye," Judy shouted as she quickly sped after Nick. "Got him!" She saw Jack enter a room with no exits, but when she opened the door, he wasn't there.

Nick panted for breath after Jack eluded them. "I guess that's it," he said.

Judy examined every inch and crevice of the room. She tore every piece of fabric turning the room into a mess. "He must be here somewhere."

"Give it up, Carrots, let's just enjoy the cruise."

"Enjoy? Enjoy?" she shouted. She broke multiple pieces of furniture trying to find Jack. "Jack Savage stabbed a vixen in broad daylight, and you want me to ENJOY the cruise? Are you out of your mind? You're not even going to help me look for him?"

"This room has no exits, we saw him come in here. He vanished without a trace. What else can we do? You'll get bored eventually. I'm just going to sit on this chair, tell me when you give up."

She searched for him alone but even when the room turned into an utter ruin there was no Jack Savage, not even a clue.

"Are you finished?" Nick asked. He folded his arms.

"Why don't you care?"

"Because I know everything. I know what's going to happen. Do you want to enjoy the cruise some more? We won't be on the cruise forever, forget about Jack."

"Help me find him. There must be footage, something. Something that explains what happened here."

"I wonder if this happened before," Nick said out loud. "We can ask the captain. Maybe, there's a hidden switch?"

"Why didn't you suggest that before?"

"Because I want you to move on and enjoy the cruise. Your investigation leads to nowhere."

Judy and Nick went to find the captain. It seemed strange that the cruise's passengers preferred to stay in their rooms compared to how lively it was earlier. She stood in front of the door.

"I'm sorry, Judy, we're out of time." He attacked Judy from behind.

"Why? Nick, why?" She blinked. She couldn't believe that Nick suddenly attacked her.

"This doesn't matter anymore. None of it does." He proceeded to harm Judy while she begged for mercy. "And I'll be seeing you very soon. I hope something actually sticks."

She saw him walk out of the door as he left her on the floor to bleed to death. She closed her eyes to ease her passing.

* * *

Judy and Nick and twenty-five siblings waved goodbye to their family as they boarded the cruise ship.

"Nick, something's bothering me. Why do I feel afraid of you?" she said.

He smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is strange.


	4. Knowledge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter.

Judy watched with unease as Nick smiled after she told him she felt afraid of him. "Nick, you're scaring me. Why are you smiling?"

"It means one of my plans finally worked," Nick elaborated. "if you close your eyes, I wonder what you will see."

She closed her eyes. She saw vague images of Nick brutally attacking her. "A nightmare, but that couldn't be you."

"We're holding up the line. Let's go to our room so you can tell me all about it."

They entered their room without much hassle from the other passengers of the cruise. Nick stroked her head as they cuddled on the bed. She told him all her concerns. "You wouldn't do anything like that to me, would you?" Judy knew Nick wouldn't do that, but she wanted reassurance.

"Of course not," Nick said. "I don't hold your thoughts against you. I'm happy you told me this."

"But I can't explain it, I don't even know how this fear happened."

"Don't apologize." Nick stroked her head. He stared into her eyes. "Everything's going to be okay. Why don't we enjoy the cruise?"

They ran into a white vixen and a striped hare upon leaving their suite.

"Hello," the hare said.

"Fancy meeting the two famous ZPD officers here," the vixen said. "My name is Skye, and this oversized bunny here is Jack Savage."

"We're going sunbathing," Nick said as he led Judy towards the top of the deck.

"We'll join you," Jack said.

They walked together towards the top of the deck until Jack suddenly stopped moving. He remained motionless as still as a statue. It took them a while to notice his sudden absence.

"What's wrong with Jack?" Judy asked.

"Careless," Nick grunted.

"Does he have any conditions?" Judy asked. She decided to ignore Nick's comment. She waved her paws in front of his eyes for no effect. She pinched him in several places and he didn't even whimper.

"Not that I know of," Skye said.

"Looks like we're going to keep an eye on him until he snaps out of it. What we can't do is leave him like this." Nick sighed. "Let's carry him to the sunbathing spot.

They gazed at the sky while waiting for Jack to snap out of his state.

"The weather is beautiful," Jack said, shocking everyone.

"Don't you have something you'd like to say?" Skye said. Judy could hear the disapproval in her voice.

"Not really." It was unnatural how fast the sky started raining. There wasn't even a warning as rain fell from the sky suddenly obscuring the sun above. "I'm going back to my room," Jack said.

Nick and Judy went back to their room as the unnatural weather took hold.

"Well, this is perfect," Judy said.

"We can always have fun in this room." Nick turned on the television to surf the channels.

"When did you become the optimist?"

"Maybe after I've met you?"

The spent time lying together on the bed until the speakers spoke, "This is your captain speaking, Jack Savage has been reported missing on the ship. He looks like a striped hare or oversized rabbit. Any help in locating him would be appreciated."

"Judy, can you try to remember the next few words I say even if you don't agree?" Nick asked.

"Anything," she replied.

Nick sighed. "Here goes nothing." He used his claws to attack her. "Just remember that I love you."

She tried to struggle, but it was all in vain. Nick had her in his grasp. "Why?" she said.

"I'm not sure if this is any easier," he said. "This is goodbye. Try to remember even if you disagree." She felt him ripping her heart out of her chest.

* * *

She found herself sitting at the table with a blueberry pie in front of her. Nick sat beside her, and Gideon was there as well.

"Nick, we need to talk," Judy said.

"Well, talk then. That's all we've been doing for the past hour now?" He glanced at his watch.

"Alone," she said.

Gideon said, "I can leave if you want. I don't want to intrude."

"Let's go," he said. Nick walked with Judy until they arrived in their room. "What do you want to tell me?"

"Have you touched my heart recently?" Judy asked.

A bright smile appeared on Nick's face. "I certainly hope so."

Judy used her claws to poke his back mirroring where he touched her before. "Did you do something like this before?"

He nodded. "I cannot say."

"Why?"

"Because I've tried in the past. Leave it at that. I want to treasure the time we have."

"Please leave, I need some time to think," she said. Nick walked out of the room. She tried to organize her thoughts and feelings. She was certain Nick had killed her before but also proclaimed he loved her. It didn't make sense. She wasn't sure if the first nightmare she had about him leaving her to die was real, but she felt it would be true. She didn't sense deception from Nick based on how he acted and how well she knew him. She wanted to know what was going on here, but how?

She opened the door after hearing a knock. Jack Savage was on the other side. "I've taken care of Nick for you. You don't need to worry about him anymore," he said.

"Taken care of?" she asked. "I don't believe you, he just left."

"You want proof? Fine, he's not on the ship anymore," Jack said. She searched everywhere with him following behind her only to find nothing. Not even a corpse. "Don't forget to call him too."

She called Nick desperately hoping he would answer. She called again and again when no one responded. "How? How did you do this?"

"You know what he did to you, now we can be together. He's no longer in the way," he replied.

They walked back to her room while she glared daggers at him every step of the way. "Look, even if I were to thank you for your service, which I won't, I have no romantic feelings for you what-so-ever. I barely know who you are and you rudely crashed into me when Nick and I just boarded the ship." She didn't know how she felt about Nick's demise since she knew he had harmed her.

"What will it take for me and you to be happy together?"

"We won't."

"But I saved you from Nick and everything."

"I still don't know how I feel about that. He killed me before, he hurt me before yes, but that wasn't now and he seemed to have his reasons. Please just leave me alone." Judy sat on the bed as she gazed at the ceiling. Nick was gone, she wasn't sure what would happen now. She drifted off into sleep.

* * *

She opened her eyes to see Nick beside her. They were walking on a bridge with Jack and Skye.

"How do you feel about me?" Nick asked.

"I don't know, how did this happen?" she asked.

"Jack, why don't you tell her everything? She might even help you, just like me."

"You know that's not going to work," Jack retorted.

"With what?" Judy asked. "Didn't you kill Nick before?"

"I give up."

Skye picked up Jack Savage. She tossed him off the bridge and on to the rocks. "I always wanted to try that."

"What are you crazy?" Judy immediately bound Skye for her crazy act.

"Uh, Judy, we need to save Jack," Nick said, he sounded afraid more than concerned.

"You're right."

Judy and Nick ran off from the bridge trying to find a way down. It took several minutes before they found a path that led down to the ocean below. "Where is he?" she asked. She saw a cellphone on the rocks where Jack was, but he was missing.

"I'd like to think we have all the time in the world now, I can't be sure, but we need that cellphone," Nick said.

"What about Jack Savage?"

"I need to check that cellphone to see if it matters. Trust me."

She jumped towards a rock between the water. "Don't fall in," he said.

"Relax, Nick, I'm fine." It wasn't that it was difficult to leap between the rocks to her destination. It was just potentially lethal if she missed a step. She retrieved the phone and returned to the beach.

She passed Nick the phone. He opened the phone scanning its contents. "Those numbers, we're free," he said in shock.

"What numbers?"

"These," he showed her the two numbers on the phone. "Call them if you want to save Jack Savage, throw away the phone if you don't. I can be more honest with you now. He was the reason I harmed you at all. If you do call them, you might not like what you will find. I feel like it should be your choice."

"You harmed me?" she said.

"I'm no longer afraid to speak out. I was the one who ripped out your heart. He was the reason why, but now Jack is gone and won't be back."

"Gone? Skye tossed him off a bridge. He must have been washed away."

"You don't understand this world, but I do. I assure you, that's not what happened just what you see. Call those numbers if you want the truth to set you free. Our existence is a lie and you're living in it, and I'll gladly keep you company."

"What will happen to me if I call these numbers?" she said. Nick was incredibly cryptic which wasn't helping.

"You'll learn the truth, but you should be able to save Jack Savage in the process, and I'll support you no matter what you choose. Jack might die if you delay too long."

"What can be so horrible?" she called a number. "Hello?"

"This is Judy Hopps, how can I help you?" the phone replied.

"Wait, but I'm Judy Hopps."

"Is this a prank?"

"Nick said I called this number, I might save Jack Savage."

"Who is Jack Savage?"

"Carrots passed me the phone. What's this about saving Jack Savage?" Nick replied.

Judy replied, "It's something that Nick said calling this number would do. I don't even know how. He's right beside me."

"Oh really, I don't suppose he can speak on the phone too?" Judy passed the phone to Nick.

Nick divulged the location to the other Nick on the phone. He told his other half what he needed to do.

Nick hung up. "So, how are you feeling?"

"How can they be us?" Judy said.

"I can tell you when you're ready, but we have all the time in the world."

* * *

"Do you think it's a prank?" Nick asked. They received a very strange phone call just now.

"That bridge isn't too far from here, it doesn't hurt to check, does it?" Judy asked.

"I suppose not."

They took a brief detour from their intended destination. The ZBI were there walling off the bridge because their commander wanted alone time. Nick and Judy got past the blockage without any problems. They found Jack Savage pacing back and forth.

Jack saw them. He tried to leap off the bridge, but Nick tranquilized him instead, leaving him at the edge.

"So, they were right," Judy said, "but how?"

Nick shrugged.

They informed the ZBI that Jack was contemplating suicide. They sent him off to a mental institution.

* * *

"You tried to commit suicide," Skye said. "Why? I cared for you, your team supported you."

"Can you come back later? I'm writing," Jack said. "I know why I did what I did, but it's s not something I can put into words easily. There's no way I can commit suicide now. All they allow me to do is write, but even then, they watch me constantly. Please, come back in a week."

"Fine," Skye grunted.

Jack scrawled out on parchments provided to him. every experiment he did in his virtual world. He wanted Judy Hopps, but it seemed like she already had Nick. He was too afraid to date her so he ran simulations. He wanted her to be happy when they inevitably got together.

As time wore on, Nick and Judy got closer and closer. He had access to technologies that allowed him to reprogram the mind. He simulated those technologies, but even in his simulation, her true happiness eluded him.

He had faith in those results, but they weren't good enough even if he covered up all his tracks, so he began the simulation anew. Iteration after iteration Judy Hopps wasn't truly happy with him. Not even if he rewrote her mind. It was evident in the way she smiled. It wasn't genuine.

She could be happy if he made her hate Nick in the process of his experiment, but he wanted them to preserve the friendship that they had. That was unacceptable to him, so he tried again. There was never an iteration or plan he could enact where Judy ended up with him and remained friends with Nick.

The computer never gave him the results he wanted, so he never tried to impact reality. He wrote every experiment he tried, every result he obtained as best as he could from his memory. He compiled these seven-hundred pages knowing that Skye would hate him if she even cared to read.

He glanced at the newspaper the asylum granted him. He didn't realize Nick and Judy got so close. He never even knew they planned a wedding. It was just like he feared, just like his simulations, WildeHopps was inevitable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was heavily inspired by Doki Doki Literature Club when I first started this story before deciding to write other stories instead. I thought I should finish this story instead of leaving it unfinished since the original plans weren't too long.
> 
> Nick is the mastermind that knows everything that happens, every single play through Jack ever did, Nick remembers. Judy's memory is mostly reset upon every single iteration, but some cracks and pieces fall through due to Jack's inefficient programming.
> 
> Jack attempts to simulate a happy ending involving him and Judy, and he wants her to be truly happy, but not have Nick directly angry with her if she's alive. He never found a solution (probably for the better of all.)
> 
> I've never read any story using a similar premise (despite how badly I might have written this story.)


End file.
